Despite the soaring cost of living, Australian families are flocking to independent faith based schools that are in line with their ethos, values, beliefs and religious identity.
Earlier in the school year, ABC reported a spike in the number of parents that are choosing to exit the public education system despite cost-of-living pressures.
ABC reported, “There are now more than 1.4 million Australian students or 35.6 per cent at private schools and about 2.6 million pupils at government schools. Parents are increasingly opting for faith-based independent schools. Parents often cite values as a reason for making the switch.” (1)
This year Islamic schools in Victoria have reported receiving an unprecedented number of enrolment applications. Al Siraat College alone have this year received over 500 new enrolment applications.
“Although we’d love to, it’s just not within our capacity to be able to accept every child. We really need practical ways to increase our capacity in the short term,” one staff member explained.
The Age reported similar findings, “Independent Schools Victoria said enrolment growth was driven by low-fee independent schools, Islamic schools, and those in growth areas such as Melbourne’s outer north and between Ballarat and Bacchus Marsh. Close to 60 per cent of enrolment growth was at low-fee independent schools, which charge less than $7500 a year.” (2)
We interviewed the president of Islamic Schools Association of Australia (ISAA), Mr Abdullah Khan, to get his perspective:
Islamic schools in Australia are witnessing a notable upsurge in enrolments, driven by an unprecedented demand. However, stringent enrolment caps imposed by local councils have become a major obstacle, leading to the rejection of hundreds of prospective students annually. Over the past decade, student numbers in Islamic schools have nearly doubled, highlighting the pressing need for expansion to cater to the community’s growing requirements. The demand for Islamic schools remains consistently high, resulting in extensive waiting lists that continue to lengthen over time. Families are drawn to these schools due to their commitment to preserving traditional beliefs, faith instruction, and cultural and religious identity.
While the reasons for the spike in enrolments to independent faith based schools is debatable, our governments need to recognize the choices of Australian families and allocate greater funding and resources to boost the capacity of new and existing Independent faith based schools.
Mr Abdullah Khan further explained:
“To address these challenges and ensure adequate provision of educational opportunities, it is imperative for the state and commonwealth governments to consider providing significant capital funding grants for the construction of new Islamic schools. This is necessary as most Islamic Schools have low fees and are serving low socio-economic families. Due to these factors the pool of private funds, which are to be used on capital development, is small. By actively supporting the establishment of additional schools, the government can effectively alleviate the strain on existing schools and facilitate access to quality education within Islamic environment for those seeking it within the Islamic community.”
Establishing more Islamic education facilities and expanding the capacity of existing Islamic schools is essential, especially in fringe regions that are growth corridors for new and emerging communities.
Islamic schools that boast a robust community engagement strategy also offer families opportunities to connect with one another and with the broader community in meaningful ways throughout the education year.
Weekly programs like Islamic Storytime are available for mums with small children aged between 0 to 4 years old. Programs for little Muslims offer various benefits, not just as a soft start to big school but also for the mental and spiritual wellbeing of parents.
Parenting programs, Ladies Qur’an programs or women’s sports and recreation programs offer safe and welcoming environments for mums in the community to connect in spaces that are mindful of Islamic religious observations.
In line with their values and beliefs, parents in Australia are increasingly voting with their feet and are actively choosing independent faith based education for their children, despite cost-of-living pressures.
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